Academic and administrative buildings to lock doors Thursday

Lydia Weyrich, Kaylee Harter
Wed, 18 Mar 2020 21:06:26 +0000
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All Columbus campus academic and administrative buildings will lock their doors Thursday. Credit: Lantern File Photo

All Columbus campus academic and administrative buildings will lock their doors Thursday, according to a post on Ohio State’s Facilities and Operations Development website.?

The restricted access is being imposed to support the safety and security of Ohio State and help enforce the requirement that all staff who are able work from home, according to the website. This comes after the first two cases of COVID-19 at Ohio State were announced Wednesday.??

The Department of Public Safety will also perform additional building checks during this time.?

University spokesperson Dan Hedman said most people should be working from home, but those who need to access a building and have a key can do so. He said the restricted access and building checks are meant to keep the general public and others who shouldn’t be in the buildings out.?

Anyone with questions about work arrangements can contact their dean, academic adviser, senior leader or manager, according to the website.

Earlier Wednesday, the university announced all Columbus campus libraries were closing.?

The university had previously announced in a tweet Monday that Thompson and departmental libraries would be closed to the public beginning Tuesday, but the 18th Avenue Library would remain open with modified hours.?

There are currently 88 confirmed cases in Ohio, with 26 hospitalizations and 333 people under health supervision, according to the Ohio Department of Health at the time of publication.?